SPH Undergraduate Student Assistance Fund
The Public Health Undergraduate Student Assistance Fund provides a range of support, including tuition assistance, research fees and travel. You can support students such as these by visiting sph.uw.edu/giving.
For the 2016-2017 academic year, nine undergraduates received SPHUSAF awards. All of them submitted thank you statements, describing what the award means to them and how it impacts their studies and educational goals. Below are four representative statements and photos of all nine students.
Terra Hoy
Senior, Public Health
“This is a privilege I intend to use to tackle institutional oppression, primarily focusing on healthcare for minority populations, including the homeless, LGBTQ and people of color.”
Elizabeth Jatta
Junior, Public Health
“This award grants me more time and freedom to fully immerse myself in my studies and extracurricular activities. Upon graduation, my plan is to go to medical school.”
Sandra Mata-Diaz
Junior, Public Health
“I hope to use my education to raise awareness for public health disparities. This award will allow me to focus on my studies and my research on veterans living in rural areas.”
Cristal Rangel Peña
Senior, Public Health and American Ethnic Studies
“As a first-generation student, it has been difficult finding ways to support myself financially. This scholarship means that I can spend less time worrying about paying for tuition and more time focusing on succeeding academically.”
L to R: Hana Fanseha, Miriam Flores, Stephen Lee, Nancy Tovar-Garcia, John Yang
Double Eagle II Endowed Scholarship in Public Health
The Double Eagle II Endowed Scholarship in Public Health funds undergraduate students committed to ensuring healthier communities locally and abroad. Retired Navy Captains Frances M. Frazier and Midge M. Loser established the scholarship in 2006. Their collective 57 years of active duty took them across the world, and they observed firsthand how the effectiveness of a public health system impacts the well-being of various communities.
Teresa Mata-Cervantes, a UW junior, hopes to earn a PhD in public health. The Double Eagle II Endowed Scholarship is helping her achieve this goal by allowing her the opportunity to study abroad, the freedom to focus on her studies and the ability to take time to serve the community as an undergraduate. She hopes to move back to her hometown in Eastern Washington and work for the local public health district on policy to efficiently communicate health education.
Nancy Tovar Garcia is the first of six children to attend college. As a freshman in the Public Health Major, she is passionate about providing access to healthcare to low income and marginalized communities through education and service. With hopes of continuing on to receive an MPH, Garcia will use the Double Eagle II Endowed Scholarship to alleviate stress around funding her education and allow her to participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and academics.